Like EVERY year.... many people
have already made their way into
town...hoping to avoid traffic. News
7's Sinu Abraham.. has more on what you
need to know to avoid traffic tie ups.

CHANNEL=C SOT FULL

SOT FULL

INQ=BARBARA ADDY

*CG locator Martinsville

:00

*CG 2line Barbara Addy

Virginia Beach Resident

:11

*CG 2line Robert Bell

Prince George Co. Resident

:29

*CG standup Sinu Abraham

sabraham@wdbj7.com

1:14

RUNS=1:41 (END SOT)

OQ=NEWS 7, MARTINSVILLE. <<

(END SOT)

Barbara Addy and her family can sit
back and relax now. They've already
made what they used to call the long
trip up from Virginia Beach to
Martinsville.

RUN=11 SOT BARBARA ADDY 55:25-36 WE WOULD
OQ=A DEAD STANDSTILL LEAVE BY 3:30 IN THE MORNING AND WE
(END SOT) WOULD FLY THROUGH 58 AND WE WOULD GET

TWO MILES FROM HERE AND COME TO A DEAD
STANDSTILL.

More than 70-thousand people are
expected to pour in for this weekend's
race--

RUN=7 SOT ROBERT BELL 53:04-- I MEAN ITS
OQ=ANOTHER FIVE FEET BUMPER TO BUMPER, YOU WOULD MOVE 5 FEET
(END SOT) AND THEN MOVE SOME MORE.. MOVE ANOTHER

5 FEET.

RUNS=8 SOT 55:38-47 BARBARA ADDY MY HUSBAND
OQ=THE TRACK WOULD GO BALLISTIC IN THE CAR, AND I'D
(END SOT) WANT TO CRAWL OUT THE WINDOW AND THEN

FINALLY WE'D GET HERE TO THE TRACK.

But there ARE ways to keep from sitting
in that traffic.. too long.

boards

VDOT says if you're coming from Roanoke
and areas north of Martinsville--take
Route 58 from 220 South.

From Danville and areas east of
Martinsville--you're advised to use the
track's entrance from the Route 58
bypass.

If you're coming from Stuart and places
West of Martinsville--stay on Route 58
East and follow VDOT's message boards
to the track.

and if you're coming from 220
North--keep your eyes peeled for
message boards directing you where to
go.

RUN=10 STANDUP: AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WON'T
OQ=RACE TRAFFIC BE HEADING TO THE TRACKS, VDOT
(END SOT) OFFICIALS RECOMMEND YOU AVOID 220 ALL

TOGETHER.. BUT IF YOU DO HAVE TO HEAD
THAT WAY.. KEEP IN MIND THAT THE RIGHT
LANE OF 220 NORTH IS STRICTLY FOR RACE
TRAFFIC.

VDOT expects this weekends heaviest
traffic to run from 7 am to early
afternoon. And while these out of
towners may have dodged the bullet
coming in to town--they know it won't
be the case on their way out. SA N7
Martinsville.>>

CK/WEATHERBUG <
Webb in the SkyTracker7 Forecast
Center. Today, we'll see skies turn
CK/SKYTRACKER partly sunny, however, temperatures
will be much cooler near 50. Throughout
the day, high pressure to our north
CK/WEATHERPRO will move east. This will create an
easterly flow of wind off the Atlantic.
This marine flow will quickly return
clouds Saturday night. Spotty light
showers and drizzle will also be
possible. Saturday night's low will be
chilly in the upper 30s.

Damp weather will remain Sunday.
Southeast winds around the northern
high pressure will "wedge" in clouds
and hold our temperatures steady near
40. There's a 50% chance of showers.
Damp and chilly!

The dreaded "wedge" is often hard to
break - usually hanging around for
several days. It looks like it will
take up residence Monday with more
clouds, showers and drizzle. Monday,
however, will be warmer with highs in
the lower 50s (average high in lower
60s!)

We'll still keep a 50% chance of
showers in the forecast Tuesday, with
much warmer temperatures. Highs will
approach 70 as the "wedge" finally
erodes.

Models are indicating a pleasant day
Wednesday with mostly to partly sunny
skies, before more showers return for
the late week forecast.

CK/WEATHERBUG <
Webb in the SkyTracker7 Forecast
Center. Today, we'll see skies turn
CK/WEATHERPRO partly sunny, however, temperatures
will be much cooler near 50. Throughout
the day, high pressure to our north
will move east. This will create an
easterly flow of wind off the Atlantic.
This marine flow will quickly return
clouds Saturday night. Spotty light
showers and drizzle will also be
possible. Saturday night's low will be
chilly in the upper 30s.

Damp weather will remain Sunday.
Southeast winds around the northern

high pressure will "wedge" in clouds
and hold our temperatures steady near
40. There's a 50% chance of showers.
Damp and chilly!

The dreaded "wedge" is often hard to
break - usually hanging around for
several days. It looks like it will
take up residence Monday with more
clouds, showers and drizzle. Monday,
however, will be warmer with highs in
the lower 50s (average high in lower
60s!)

We'll still keep a 50% chance of
showers in the forecast Tuesday, with
much warmer temperatures. Highs will
approach 70 as the "wedge" finally
erodes.

Models are indicating a pleasant day
Wednesday with mostly to partly sunny
skies, before more showers return for
the late week forecast.

the chance to watch a game with Dale
Earnhart's mother.... as well as have
dinner with a driving legend.

One Roanoke County author has done
those things--

Now she's been asked to work on
the Earnhardt.... family "memoirs".

But there's one thing that might
suprise you about this author.

News 7's Jean Jadhon explains.

CHANNEL=A SOT FULL

SOT FULL

INQ=

*CG 2line Sharyn McCrumb

Author

26

RUNS=1:22 (END SOT)

OQ=Jean Jadhon, News 7. <<

(END SOT) Several years ago when author Sharyn

McCrumb set out to write about racing-
she knew little about it- even admits
to not recognizing most drivers...

so McCrumb did what all good authors
do.. she researched her topic.

SOT FULL SOT FULL

INQ=TEH SECRET IS THAT'S 13:23:04

THE SECRET IS THAT'S THE FUN PART OF
BEING A WRITER.

RUN04 (END SOT)

OQ=THE FUN PART and fun she had... for starters

McCrumb got to do laps around Lowe's
Motor Speedway with a driver

SOT FULL SOT FULL

INQ=i GOT TO JUMP 13:24:15

I got to jump hills on backroads at 120
miles an hour with antoher race car
driver got to have breakfast with
junior johnson who won the 1960 daytona
500

SO THAT'S THE WONDERUL PART OF IT.

RUN13 (END SOT)

OQ=DAYTONA 500 Her research paid off- McCrumb's

book St. Dale is the modern day version
of the Canterbury Tales featuring Dale
Earnhart as the saint.

It garned praise not only from race
fans.. but from those closest to Dale
Earnhardt- his family.

SOT FULL SOT FULL

INQ=His sister Kathy 12:23:51

His sister kathy is so nice and she
said of all the books they had read
they felt like she was the one that
under him and got it right and they
asked if I work on a memoria bout their
family with them00

RUN14 (END SOT)

OQ=it right. McCrumb has been working for a couple

of years putting together the story of
three generations of Earnharts-
begining with Dale Earnhardts father
Arthur to his son Dale Junior.

<
Center. Today, we'll see skies turn
partly sunny, however, temperatures
CK/SKYTRACKER will be much cooler near 50. Throughout
the day, high pressure to our north
will move east. This will create an
CK/WEATHERPRO easterly flow of wind off the Atlantic.
This marine flow will quickly return
clouds Saturday night. Spotty light
showers and drizzle will also be
possible. Saturday night's low will be
chilly in the upper 30s.

Damp weather will remain Sunday.
Southeast winds around the northern
high pressure will "wedge" in clouds
and hold our temperatures steady near
40. There's a 50% chance of showers.
Damp and chilly!

The dreaded "wedge" is often hard to
break - usually hanging around for
several days. It looks like it will
take up residence Monday with more
clouds, showers and drizzle. Monday,
however, will be warmer with highs in

the lower 50s (average high in lower
60s!)

We'll still keep a 50% chance of
showers in the forecast Tuesday, with
much warmer temperatures. Highs will
approach 70 as the "wedge" finally
erodes.

Models are indicating a pleasant day
Wednesday with mostly to partly sunny
skies, before more showers return for
the late week forecast.

will be much cooler near 50. Throughout
the day, high pressure to our north
will move east. This will create an
easterly flow of wind off the Atlantic.
This marine flow will quickly return
clouds Saturday night. Spotty light
showers and drizzle will also be
possible. Saturday night's low will be
chilly in the upper 30s.

Damp weather will remain Sunday.
Southeast winds around the northern
high pressure will "wedge" in clouds
and hold our temperatures steady near
40. There's a 50% chance of showers.
Damp and chilly!

The dreaded "wedge" is often hard to
break - usually hanging around for
several days. It looks like it will
take up residence Monday with more
clouds, showers and drizzle. Monday,
however, will be warmer with highs in
the lower 50s (average high in lower
60s!)

We'll still keep a 50% chance of
showers in the forecast Tuesday, with
much warmer temperatures. Highs will
approach 70 as the "wedge" finally
erodes.

Models are indicating a pleasant day

Wednesday with mostly to partly sunny
skies, before more showers return for
the late week forecast.